


Swimming Lesson Number One

by ro_blaze



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, babies so many babies, just some good feels, not really any timeline, they are being very happy, this is pretty much just zelgan: the beach episode, zelda and gan are link's parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28040304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ro_blaze/pseuds/ro_blaze
Summary: For their third anniversary, Ganondorf and Zelda take their ever-growing family for a small holiday at peaceful desert oasis. Ganondorf has promised to teach their oldest how to swim and Zelda is eager to share some exciting news with her husband.[Zelgan: The Beach Episode]
Relationships: Ganondorf & Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Ganondorf & Link (Legend of Zelda), Ganondorf/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Swimming Lesson Number One

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO
> 
> this is just some cute fluff i was in the feel for. haven't been able to get my head into anything else so you get this
> 
> ALSO, this is part of my zelgan smut series ["the things you do to me"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293386), and happens about 3 years after chapter 2 and two and a half (?) after chapter 1
> 
> i hope you enjoy it!
> 
> special thanks to [GerudosEheniv](https://twitter.com/GerudosEheniv), who so kindly allowed me to use their wonderful _[Ehenihv](http://va-eheniv.conlang.org/gerudolang1.html)_ as a base for whenever i need gerudo speech in my fics, and you can see a dictionary at the bottom note
> 
> (this one doesn't really include much but in the future,,, *eyes emoji*)

The sun shines brightly upon the small oasis, hitting the hardy trees that have managed to survive the scorching desert heat and casting a patchwork of light and shadow over the camp that is currently being set under them. Zelda gently bounces a three and a half months old Shira on her hip as she watches her husband struggle with arranging the rocks around their campfire, a grin dancing at the corner of her mouth.

“Put that one there,” Link advises with all the air of importance and wisdom of a feisty six-year old, directing his father’s hand with his much smaller ones. 

“Whatever you say, _malazi_ ,” Ganondorf agrees without a question, smiling. He looks so much calmer without the weight of the crown on his shoulders, his eyes twinkling in the sunlight. “And let’s put this white one here… ”

They seem to be having fun, arranging and rearranging the rocks over and over, arguing whether there should be a pattern in the colors or not—Zelda assumes it must be some sort of peculiar father-son bonding activity she’s not quite so familiar with. Making sure Shira is secure in her arms, she walks over to the end of the water where Ivera and Aazar seem to be practicing their sand cake making.

“Having fun?” she asks as she kneels next to them. 

“Aama! Look!” Ivera reaches a small grubby hand and pulls her over to one of the sand cakes. “I made it!”

“It’s wonderful, dear.” It’s quite fascinating—the wet sand has been compacted into a roughly conical shape and the “layers” of the cake are marked with lines drawn to show where one ends and the next begins. A piece of a fallen palm leaf is tastefully placed on the top. “My, my! And it’s so pretty, too. You’ve done an amazing job.”

Ivera beams up at her, the little fangs she’s inherited from her father glinting. Her brother doesn’t seem to notice her—he is focused solely on his own sand cake, his hands moving up and down, patting and pushing until it has the proper shape he wants. His collection is nowhere near his sister’s in quality but all of the ones he’s made are much taller. His little eyebrows are scrunched in the middle as he tries to level the top of the cake that is half his height. His hair has escaped its tie and were her hands free, Zelda would have fussed and fixed it.

Shira coos softly and attempts to reach towards one of the tall sand shapes with pudgy little hands. It’s not particularly difficult to thwart her attempts, tiny as she is, and Shira yawn, burying her face in her chest. 

“Shira tired,” Aazar says simply, finally looking up from his project.

“Indeed. Babies tire very easily and she is still small.” Zelda kisses her youngest’s head and smooths her lips over the soft snow-white curls—how curious that Shira had inherited her Sheikah blood’s features, the only one of all her children—before standing up carefully. “You two promise to not get into the water yet, alright? I will go put her to sleep and be right back.”

Aazar and Ivera hum softly in reply and let her kiss both of their cheeks before returning to their sand cakes, muttering to each other in that way only twins can. Zelda gives them a fond smile and turns around to head back to the cushioned basket they had prepared for their littlest one to sleep in, humming a cheerful tune. She is stopped halfway there when a large arm wraps around her waist and tugs her for a kiss.

Shira yawns once again, obviously uninterested in her parents’ blatant display of affection. 

“Someone is sleepy,” Ganondorf remarks, reaching down and taking the little girl from her arms. Shira nuzzles his hand. “Don’t even want to look at your Aba, _malazi_? You hurt my heart.”

Zelda rolls her eyes, her smile filled with love. She can never quite get over how _small_ their children look when held by him—why, even past the third month, he can still hold little Shira just tucked into his elbow. The sight makes her heart melt and when he leans down to nuzzle against their youngest’s hair, she can barely resist the urge to cry.

Ugh. Pregnancy hormones, making her over-emotional all over again. 

(Okay, that’s a fat lie. It’s not just the pregnancy hormones. She’s always been weak for Ganondorf interacting and playing with children. Had she not fallen in love with him by watching him play with his nieces as an excuse to avoid doing paperwork?)

“Uh uh. Our little heart-breaker needs to go to her nest and sleep, love,” Zelda says instead, doing her best to distract her heart from even more sappy musings. “Unless you want to give her back, I suggest you—”

“I know what I’m doing, _sunli_.” Ganondorf kisses her head, and tugs on her braid playfully before pulling Shira a little bit higher against his chest and walking over the basket. 

Zelda sits down next to the now finished campfire and does her best to distract Link from trying to steal his father’s sword. The young boy has been making attempts at getting an _actual_ sword evers since his lessons began a month or so ago. Try as they might to reign his feral instincts in, he has bitten at least one of his teachers. Zelda likes to think they’ve managed to housebreak him at least to a _degree_ and even though he still refuses to wear shoes, he is at the very least a presentable prince.

Most of the time.

When Ganondorf returns, he has another baby balanced in his arms. Hiari makes a small cooing sound and rubs her eyes with one little hand. 

“Aama!” she cries, wriggling in her father’s arms.

“Hello, little angel.” Zelda stands up and giggles when the little girl all but jumps in her arms. “Was your nap nice?”

Hiari tangles her fingers into her hair and doesn’t deign to answer, her face smushed in her neck. Ganondorf smiles at the sight of them and leans down to kiss her hair and smooth her braid down, then quickly snatches his sword from Link. Link at least has the good graces to look embarrassed at being caught. 

“You take after your mother too much,” Ganondorf mutters.

“But Aba!” Link goes after him and tries to reach the scabbard. Ganondorf lifts it so it’s just above his head and when the little boy jumps up, he drags it further in the air. “Please!”

“If you want to steal something, young man, you have to make it so there is no witness,” Ganondorf coaches, slinging the long scabbard over his shoulder and patting their son’s head. “A Gerudo thief never shames themself like that.”

“Please, stop teaching our children how to steal,” Zelda says, supporting Hiari in her arms when the little girl turns to face her father. 

“They are Gerudo. They need to protect themselves from those who wish to hurt them, and the best way for _that_ is to make sure the enemy doesn’t have something to hurt them with in the first place.” He laughs when Link jumps on his back and tugs on the baldric. “Now that’s more like it!”

Although his words are lightly spoken and playful, the truth behind them rests heavy in her heart. _I don’t want our children to be left defenseless and scared like you were,_ his eyes say. _I don’t want them to be forced to hide and run. I want to keep them safe as much as you do, and to do so means to teach them how to keep themselves and each other safe._ Ganondorf turns around and laughs, doing his best to gently pull Link off his shoulders. Zelda smiles softly and lowers Hiari on the soft blanket she’d spread on the sand for the children to sit on, making sure the little girl is too busy playing with her ribbons to get in danger. Then, she reaches over and gently pulls Link by the back of his shirt. 

“Young man, it’s very impolite to attempt to strangle people without their permission,” she tells him in her most Serious Mother voice. “Apologize to your father or I’m afraid you will be sentenced to tickling punishment.”

Link squeaks and eventually loosens his grip. Ganondorf is laughing, of course, obviously enjoying himself in the fun, and helps the boy down to his feet before lowering the sword. He continues after that, freeing himself of his clothes, and turns face to Link.

“Let’s go in the water and have some fun before your mother decides to administer that tickling punishment, alright?” he says, ruffling the boy’s hair.

Link grins up to him and seems way too happy to get undressed, all but jumping into the calm waters of the small oasis. Zelda chuckles and shakes her head, kneeling down to collect the strewn articles of clothing. When she stands up it’s to the sight of Ganondorf unwinding his hair from the thick braid he prefers wearing it in. The sight of his lovely scarlet mane never fails to make her hair skip a beat. 

And, well. His bare body. Four years together, three of which married, and he still makes her stomach flush with warmth.

“Aren’t you going to join us?” he asks, removing the pins from his mouth and laying them down along with his clothes.

“I don’t know. Is this just another attempt to get me naked with you?”

Ganondorf picks her and lifts her in the air, spinning her around. Zelda laughs loudly and loops her arms around his neck—this time she is the one to kiss him, pressing her body snugly against his, running her fingers through his hair. He growls against her mouth, one hand lowering to support the small of her back, and all thoughts about sad childhoods and _loneliness_ and being starved for affection are gone from her mind.

And then Link splashes water at them.

“Aama, Aba, stop being gross!” he cries, his little arms crossed over his chest.

Ganondorf chuckles and gently lowers her to her feet, pressing one last kiss to her lips.

“Alas, my love, I must go, for our son awaits. I did promise to teach him to swim.” He twists her as if in dance and smiles when she laughs. “Will you join us?”

“Hmm. I think I rather will.” Zelda looks down at where Hiari is hugging her favorite plush sand seal to her chest. “What do you think, little love? Do you want to swim with Aba?” 

“Aba!” the little girl agrees, lifting her arms in the air.

Ganondorf scoops her up like she weighs nothing and quickly helps her out of her clothes before carrying her to the water where Link is already waiting. Zelda takes the time to move Shira’s basket to a place she can safely watch over her before following the example, slipping out of her kurta, sirwal and undershirt, and then bindings around her chest and the smooth compression shorts on her bottom, until she is bare as well. It takes her a moment to unwind her braid and put all of the ribbons away. 

When she turns, the twins have joined their father and siblings in the shallow water, splashing each other around and climbing over their father’s form in some silly attempt to pull him under. Zelda laughs and dives into the oasis without a second thought.

* * *

A dragonfly buzzes over the smooth surface of the water. The waxing moon shines above them, bright and beautiful. Clad in nothing but her husband’s oversized kurta, hair still partially wet, Zelda gently guides her son through the motions of making fried bread just like Ganondorf taught her back when she first arrived in the valley.

“The secret is in just the way you knead it,” she whispers, holding Link’s hands under hers as they roll the ball of soft dough together. He is biting his tongue, mimicking the motion of her fingers, his wild golden locks sticking in every direction. “You go for just the right amount of time, until it’s all smooth… ”

Next to them, Ganondorf is entertaining a fussy Shira in his arms. Zelda throws them a fond look every once in a while, the sight of her husband and youngest together making her heart melt. The twins are curled near the fire with Hiari cuddled between them, watching her as she guides Link through the simple steps of the traditional Gerudo dish. 

“And now… You add the butter.” Zelda reaches over Link’s shoulder and picks the small bowl she’s put near the fire for the butter to melt. “It should— ”

“Can I do it?” Link asks, eyeing the bowl as she sets it next to the cutting board they’d used to knead the dough.

“Of course.” She smiles and kisses the top of his head, then holds the butter for him. “Just a little, we don’t need much… ”

Link is a natural at cooking, Zelda can at the very least give him that—he manages to pour the perfect amount without wasting any of the butter they will need later for frying and begins to knead even without her telling him to; he’s seen both her and his father prepare bread plenty of times before. Once they are done kneading he brings over the deep bowl and watches over it while she lowers a clean cloth in the oasis water and squeezes it out until it’s sufficiently _damp_ but not _wet_ , then carefully covers the bread dough with it. 

“There,” she says, very satisfied with their hard work. “We need to keep it away from the fire and let it rest for a while… and in the meantime, we can work on the rest of our meal.”

“Food!” Link cries, throwing his hands in the air, and running off to carry the rest of the supplies.

“Food indeed,” Zelda agrees and pushes herself to her feet so she can follow along, chuckling. 

The horses each give her a gentle nuzzle when she reaches them, ruffling her already messy hair. Link waits patiently next to her mare, Miri, and Zelda carefully selects the rest of the ingredients—soft cheese, a bit of dried chicken, and her prized collection of spices. The rest—flour and butter and water—are already laid out at her little cooking station by the fire.

“You seem very excited about cooking tonight,” Ganondorf remarks once she and Link return, laying Shira down on her little blanket nest so he can join them. 

“I do enjoy getting the chance to provide for my family, my most beloved King,” she replies and lifts her head to meet him in a kiss. His lips are soft and his mouth is warm and a loose curl of his hair tickles her cheek. “Rare as it can be…”

“Indeed. And I enjoy getting the chance to watch you do so.” He strokes his hand over her neck and down her spine and not for the first time Zelda is reminded of how little fabric is there to keep them separated, him in his loose sirwal and her in his stolen kurta. “You cut quite the compelling view, _sunli_.”

There is, after all, a reason for the relatively high amount of children they’ve managed to amass in the three years of their marriage.

“Flatterer,” Zelda chides softly and laughs when he dunks down to nip at her jaw. Link makes a disgusted sound and she gently pushes her affectionate husband away. “Now, now, my King, if kisses are what you desire, you must first help with the cooking.”

“As my Queen commands.”

While the dough chills, the three of them—truly, mostly her and Ganondorf, for Link is a bit too young still to not make a mess with the batter—work on their meal, cutting the cheese and chicken and rolling the pieces into the batter before they can be dipped into the hot oil above the fire. Had they been back at home, there are so many other meals they could have made, red rice with chicken and vegetables, and thick red _dal_ and her favorite rice _dosa_ her father taught her to make when she was little, and sweetened curd and those dried plums the children love so much, and— 

Together, Zelda and Ganondorf show Link how to separate the dough into balls and then roll it out until it’s just the perfect thickness—he is too small to do that himself yet but he is eager to learn, hanging over their shoulders and studying every movement. Cooking like this is fun, with the sweet smell of spices and the sound of her husband saying silly puns that make their little boy laugh. While Ganondorf shows Link how to fry the bread along with the now coated pakoras, Zelda carefully puts the tea kettle with water, the chai leaves and some spices—oh, how she wishes they could have been able to take some milk with them—on the fire. 

By the time the chai is done so is the food, the bread resting on its towel to drain and the pakoras returned to the now washed bowl. Link tries to guess which ones are cheese and which are chicken while she pours two cups of chai and hands one to Ganondorf. It takes a moment to collect all the little ones and pull the half-asleep Shira close (she might not be able to eat with them but she is still part of the family) but once they’ve all been collected, it becomes a competition who can eat more. Ivera is the first to begin as always, reaching chubby hands for the bread, and the rest are not too far behind.

To her own surprise Zelda is the first to finish her bun and to reach for a second one, humming happily at the taste of it and just how nicely it melts on her tongue. Ganondorf watches her from her corner of his eye, a curious expression on his face. She barely resists a grin over the rim of her cup when he leans close to her and puts his mouth to her ear.

“Is there any particular reason you seem so hungry tonight, _sunli_?” he whispers. “Or am I just left to wonder?”

“I am just enjoying the sweet _fruit_ of my hard _labors_ , my beloved husband,” Zelda replies, grinning brightly up at him. “And the bread is so lovely, is it not? Especially after we have made it _together_.”

She doesn’t have to wait particularly long for him to figure out the meaning behind her words—Goddesses, she hardly has the chance to put her cup on the ground before his eyes widen in realization and Ganondorf all but throws her in the air in his excitement, making her laugh as he spins her around and twirls her in his arms. 

Link makes a face when they kiss and shakes his head with all the disapproval a six-years old can produce, pointedly ignoring the words of love they whisper to each other, and uses the chance to steal their half-eaten pieces of bread and share them with his siblings.

**Author's Note:**

> gerudo vocab:  
>  _malazi_ \- little one, small one (Ehenihv)  
>  _sunli_ \- lit. _lovely_ (Ehenihv, read as something like love/my love)  
>  _viarah_ \- hope, faith  
>  _aava_ \- fire, flame  
>  _hir_ \- blessing  
>  _a-shir(a)_ \- lion(ess)  
>  _aba_ \- papa  
>  _aama_ \- mama
> 
> aaaand baby #5, denae, is on the way, ha ha!
> 
> for those who are not familiar, the recipes mentioned here are indian - poori, fried bread, and pakoras, which can be vegetables, soft cottage cheese called paneer or even meat (fish or chicken) rolled into batter and fried, and the rest of the dishes zelda mentions are also mostly indian, which is one of the irl cultures i use as in inspiration for the gerudo people
> 
> thank you for reading!
> 
>   
> come visit my twitter, [monnydoesart](https://twitter.com/MonnyRancheva), where you can see some fancy zelda art and maybe take a look at my commission. stay safe~


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